Bradley’s Buzz: ESPN damns Georgia Tech with faint praise
When last we encountered Chris Sprow of ESPN.com — and if it seems like just yesterday, that’s because it was — he was saying nicer things about the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs than you’d expect regarding a team ESPN ranks No. 16 in the land. Well, guess who ESPN ranks No. 15?
Aw. You guessed.
The same Mr. Sprow takes on 15th-ranked Georgia Tech (link requires registration) and — wouldn’t you know it? — gushes less about the Jackets than about the Bulldogs. (Let the record reflect that ESPN’s ratings were done not by Sprow but by esteemed former colleague Mark Schlabach, who’s a Georgia grad.) And a magnifying glass isn’t required to read between Sprow’s lines: He wonders if Paul Johnson’s option-based spread is really all that.
As was the case with the Georgia preview, extensive quotation will be done. (Because ESPN’s Insiders is a pay site, and I’m Clark Howard.) So here goes:
• “What [Tech coach Paul Johnson] should do is put the ball in the hands of star tailback Jonathan Dwyer. As a sophomore, Dwyer finished 12th in the nation in rushing with 1,395 yards, but it was what he did on first down that was telling. At home, on 54 attempts, he averaged 11.1 yards per carry, moving from first down to first down.”
• “Tech’s offense — under the leadership of returning junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt — isn’t a complete one-trick pony. It can run in a lot of directions and get a lot of people involved. Consider that Dwyer’s 6.98 yards per carry was over a yard less than freshman Roddy Jones. The kid from Stone Mountain, Ga., went for 8.5 yards whenever he carried the ball.”
• “The bottom line: Tech is set up to be the best rushing team in the country.”
Loading ...• “Despite the offensive plaudits, Tech simply wasn’t dominating on the scoreboard. It outscored opponents by only 4.1 points a game (24.4 to 20.3) for the year, and on those rare occasions when the running game needed a boost from a little passing, it got ugly … Having even a hint of an aerial threat would help. Terrible passing teams that make an effort to improve usually gain a W or two.”
• “As the caretaker of the program, Johnson knows that he earned praise last year not because Tech was so good, but because so little was expected of it. That’s not the case anymore. Last year many looked at the underclassmen dotting the starting lineups and penciled in the team for 3-9.
My two cents: I could’ve sworn Tech was good in 2008 — it finished 9-4 and beat Boston College, Florida State, Miami and Georgia. And I’m inclined to think a team that won nine games in Year 1 under an exceedingly stylized coach would get better with time and a deepened knack for nuance. That’s why I think the Jackets will win the ACC. But I have, as we know, been wrong at least once in my life.
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271 comments Add your comment
GT fan ....
June 17th, 2009
1:18 pm
To GTclassof10 …… you’ve got to pay closer attention to the games, and not be so pessimistic. B/C both Nesbitt & Shaw were out with injuries, the offense in the Gardner Webb game was being run by a QB (Calvin Booker) that had NO experience and NO atheletic ability to run PJ’s offense. The D had to win that one, and it did.
Now in 2009 the Jackets won’t have to worry about turning to a 3rd string QB with no exp. or ability to run PJ’s offense — the 3rd string QB being either Tevin Washington or Shaw. Yes, T. Washington may very well win the back-up job in Summer camp. Then there’s also the possibility that one of the incoming guys (Luallen or Sims) could be in the mix.
The FSU game was in hand until Nesbitt got INJURED (3rd qtr); Shaw came in and played scared.
TURNOVERS (and a bogus PF call on C. Taylor) vs. VT, VA, and UNC doomed the Jackets in those games. And 14 pts from LSU off of a fumbled punt, and an unsuccessful fake punt, on consecutive possessions, made it easy for Tech to throw in the towel in the Peach Bowl.
Paul Johnson knows how to win; do a little research on his coaching career and your mind should be eased a little, and then you can begin seeing Tech’s glass as half FULL instead of half empty.
Jackets in 2009:
Healthy players, and avoiding killer TO’s is the key to Tech’s season being 10+ wins or 7-8. Trust me.
WTF???
June 17th, 2009
1:22 pm
DAWGHATER – How’d you get so smart?
Reuben Houston
June 17th, 2009
1:36 pm
Reggie and me could have beat Georiga if I had not got busted for that 100 pounds of pot thing, and Reggie could have counted to 4. However I avoided getting incarcerated with the help of my team mates and some alumni money. Unfortunately Reggie never did catch on in those math tutoring classes and still can’t count to four. Them were the days though. Can you beelieve me and Reggie never graduated even after playing four years?
GTclassof10
June 17th, 2009
2:01 pm
GT fan …. based on the physical demand placed on the QB in this offense, do you feel confident that either Nesbitt will get through the season unscathed or if not, that Shaw can lead this team to the lofty heights that of you are taking for granted? And Shaw’s scrawny frame isn’t exactly tailor made for the beatings this offense doles out to the QB either. Some of you talk like this season is going to play out in a vacuum where all conditions are perfect and no key players get hurt. How many injuries will it take on the OL or the defensive side of the ball to derail this magnificent season you have already chalked up. How soon some forget. Can you say UGA? How would their season have played out last year if all those studs on their OL hadn’t gone down. How would it have played out had Jeff Owens and all those LBs and DEs stayed in one piece. All I’m saying is a lot of chickens are being counted before the first egg has hatched.
NAD
June 17th, 2009
2:19 pm
GT Fan:
Good point to make.
In every game GT lost last year, much of it was really bad TOs (like on the goal line vs. UVA) and absolutely dreadful Special Teams situations.
Had to know TOs were gonna come because of the new offensive scheme, butthey were bad. But…the Special Teams were a disaster: missed FGs, bad/short/OOBounds KOs/punts, horrible KO & Punt coverage, fumbled punts.
STs had better be A LOT better this year.
Current NFL Player
June 17th, 2009
3:07 pm
Tech will improve on offense and be about the same on defense. The Tech defense was not the juggernaut most expected last year.
Will it be enough???
GT fan ....
June 17th, 2009
4:14 pm
GTclassof10……QB depth in 2009 is far ahead of where it was in 2008. Again, I bring up Tevin Washington (3rd string coming out of spring), and possibly one of the incoming freshman (Luallen or Sims) to “spell” the O should a Gardner Webb come up this season.
You can’t dwell on the GW game b/c the guy directing O was literally WAAAY out of his league trying to run PJ’s offense. Think of that game as having to cut your fire wood with a steak knife b/c your two axes just broke; yeah, a steak knife is sharp, and its cuts stuff, but it sure isn’t going to do much with the wood.
I said it last year too …. stay healthy, and Tech can win a lot of games. Well, they stayed healthy for the most part, but lost a TON of starts & exp. on the OL with Gardner & Brown getting inj. And don’t forget about all the injuries to the LBs and Word Daniels on the D side of the ball. The OL is deeper this year too. As are the DBs & LBs.
My eggs (aka confindence) have hatched. IF the guys stay, for the most part, healthy, and they limit killer TO’s then “chalk up” 10+ wins. If not, who knows….but a little research on PJ’s coaching career gives me faith that he will guide the squad through the tough times just fine. I’m sure all of his coaching success didn’t happen due to perfect conditions that you mentioned.
Trust me GTclassof10, trust me.
Now a small, enlightening project for you ….Google PJ and notice the success of the teams he has coached, specifically WHILE he was actually coaching them (either OC or HC at GSU, Hawaii, Navy). You’ll have to cross reference the football history of each team but you’ll see what I’m talking about. Notice particularly what was happening at GSU in the 5-6 years prior to his return in ‘97, and what happened when he became HC from ‘97-’01. Again with Navy the prior 15-20 years before he became OC in ‘95-’96. And from ‘97-’01 before he returned to become HC from ‘02-’07.
Also … PJ convinced Erk Russell to let him install his offense when PJ switched from DL coach in ‘84 to OC in’85 & ‘86, and the “Ham-bone” was born (Tracy Hamm).
GOJACKET5
June 18th, 2009
8:29 am
Hey kevin where not talking about the college world sereis you dumb a** this is a college football thread!!! And last time i check Uga didnt win the college world series either! D**N you are dumb
UGAGrad
June 18th, 2009
10:57 am
Come back to the SEC Tech and will see how you do. You can preach 45-42 all day, but these guys wouldn’t have a chance in SEC on a weekly basis. You beat Mississipp State. Wow, my Rec team could have beat MSU last year. I think LSU is calling and wants to know what the score of the Peach Bowl was. HMMM?
UGAGrad
June 18th, 2009
11:06 am
Hey Tech, come back to the SEC and see what these boys would do on a weekly basis. You can preach 45-42 all day, but how long did we beat Tech in a row? LSU called and wants to know the score from the Peach Bowl.
Georgia
June 18th, 2009
11:09 am
thats right 1951 and that is Gatech’s problem this upcoming season.. Defensive line.. The whole game starts upfront. Johnson inherited an excellent D-line and they dont have the replacements yet. Incoming Freshmen are not going to be good enough to cover. The offense will win many games but If tech cant stop the run then they dont have the type of offense to make big comebacks(yes I know they did against UGA in the second half last year. But that was with turnovers etc and some big runs along the sidelines. That isnt always going to happen). eventually they will need some passing threats and its just not there with this offense. The passing from Tech only will work if they have the lead and the defense thinks they are going to run. If a defense knows tech has to pass then they have NO shot.
Not Disappointed
June 18th, 2009
11:25 am
Georgia Tech will indeed be a better team. As others has noted, Nesbitt has to be in good shape to take the Jackets to the next level. But the team as should be better in 2009. “Ramblin Wreck!”
HEDGEPRUNER
June 18th, 2009
12:03 pm
As much as I respect Paul Johnson we better do what it takes to get to get a kicker, Scott Blair will not cut it boys, without this hole to fill we will go 7-4 or possibly 8-3…
Trade School Junkie
June 18th, 2009
2:02 pm
GT Fans:
For better sports information for Georgia Tech, go to the Macon Telegraph newspapr.
http://www.macon.com/169/story/747352.html
Absurd
June 18th, 2009
3:27 pm
Reading these comments is like listening to two fifth-graders arguing. And I probably just insulted fifth-graders. Grow up.
Trade School Junkie
June 18th, 2009
3:29 pm
Tech fans: You HAVE to read this June 18, 2009 link:
http://georgiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=956623
Quote: “Nesbitt performed so well as a first-year starter that Johnson has given him an ambitious target for the 2009 season: 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Only six quarterbacks have reached those totals in NCAA history.”
Folks, let’s be clear on this, if Nesbitt even comes close to meeting those goals, WE ARE GONNA BE ONE SERIOUS BAD AZZ team.
I have previously stated that I predict GT will go 12-0, and get a BCS bid this year, likely Fiesat or Sugar. This only strengthens those odds.
As I have already stated: GT will be THE STORY of the 2009 College Football Season.
WE ARE GONNA BE…….BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
sjacket
June 18th, 2009
3:51 pm
It’s good to see all the interest not just from Tech fans, but Dawg fans. I could care less to read up on the Dawgs — are you guys starting to get wet dreams over the Paul Johnson era?
Woodee
June 18th, 2009
4:15 pm
So why are there uga people talking about GT? Bitter about 45-42? Probably? It just seems like uga folks can’t understand that uga is just not that good. Yes , I know 7 in a row, but it wasn’t 8. ND beat navy 35 years in a row (streak broken by C PJ). Do you think the people from ND acted as childish and petty as uga folks? Don’t think so. At the end of the 2007 season and uga was 10-2 and was so hoping for a NC birth, and then they didn’t get it and then were picked as preseason #1 every uga fan I know acted as though they had won a title. WTF? Granted uga should have played LSU (which would have been a hell of a game,but they didn’t cuz they lost to SC and got destroyed by UT, and both games the team was nowhere to be found, C MR fizzles each and every time they need to burn brightly. Keep your lads out of jail Mark)
Back to the more important issue of GT football. I didn’t hear anything about how WVU couldn’t be viable with a spread option, I didn’t hear anything about how Urban Meyer couldn’t run the spread option at UF (uga fans you know how well its worked so far). Yes, C PJ needs to implement a more effective passing game (no surprise there), but, HELLO GT had 478 yds rushing in athens. I’ve never come across more unintelligent football fans than dawg fans. Uga might be the most notable program in the state (for now), but how bout doing something with your notoriety. Here’s what you do – start with showing some class, then fire Mark, Willie, Bobo, and start fresh, and if you win more than one game in a row against Tech act like you’ve been there before. I can’t tell you how many times through the first half of the game last year I heard “8 in a row” “here we go again” just shut the Fk up and hold your horses. Instead of using your energy to talk so much bull go and call your cousin for a quickie so you can breed some more of those split hoofed children. Your going to need the extra fan base cuz the tide is definitely turning in favor of the OLD GOLD and WHITE. What’s the good word? Quit Fkn your cousins, ya’ll make the whole state look bad.
Brewer
June 19th, 2009
7:57 am
Here is a big number for you: 646. That’s how many yards CPJ’s offense put on Cal in the 1996 Aloha bowl. He’s been proving this thing for a long time. Here’s the deal: Sports writers need something to write about, so they pick on the offense they don’t understand. You don’t see them jumping on the Pro Offense every time a team running it chokes. It matters much more that the coach that runs an offense is a master of it than what the offense actually is. But it is June and people need something to flap their gums about…
Agreed
June 19th, 2009
9:15 am
Woodee:
Excellent point about both WVU and UF.
Media opinions resoundingly criticized RichRod and Urban for the their so-called “gimmick” offenses, and were all but unanimous that it wouldnt work.
The results speak for themselves.
Dawg fans, make my day. Just keep flapping your gums about GT’s “high school” offense, while we keep rolling up yardage, points, and W’s.
dhardy1468
July 30th, 2009
1:31 am
Kevin, can you learn how to type something that is somewhat literate. Could you possibly use some form of grammar? Do they not teach that at Georgia?
Georgia fans are just sad that Stafford will be actually be throwing to a decent receiver in the NFL this year and not the rednecks up in Athens.
I pray for all those delusional bulldog fans…